Library & Information Science

Major Overview

Librarians are essential tools for research. They help students and the general public find books, magazines, articles and resources, while providing education on writing, plagiarism and properly referencing sources.

Many students are attracting to this field due to their love of reading. While this major will involve literature classes, you will also be learning how to develop and work with data bases, as well as how to organize, store and retrieve information. Some of the classes you will take are library media methods, resources for young adults, storytelling, cataloging and classification, collection development, and literature.

Concentrations in this major include: Library and Information Science; Children and Youth Library Services; Archives Administration; Library and Science Administration; and Library and Archives Assisting.

Required Skills

Successful students in this field tend to be very organized people. Students should be resourceful and creative as they will be employed in a variety of tasks from day to day. Public speaking skills will help you as a professional leading a workshop for different groups such as writing a resume or avoiding plagiarism. These workshops will help you stay proficient with your skills and will allow you to be confident in your teaching.

Loving books and technology is only part of the major. You should also enjoy working with people of all ages. Depending on your specialization, you could be working with students as young as 4, college students or retired adults. This is a career that involves continual learning. Professionals will need to stay current with understanding data bases and technology.

It will also be helpful to work with students either as a coach, tutor, or camp counselor to practice talking to and explaining things to children. To get experience in the field, you should work as a volunteer or a staff member in the library. This will give you a better understanding of the inner workings of a library.

Careers

In order to be certified in library science you must pursue a Master's Degree. Otherwise you will only be qualified to work as a school librarian or a librarian technician. A library technician is essential to help keep the library running smoothly, but do not get paid as much as librarians. Careers as librarians and library technician are growing slowly, and competition may be high. Those willing to move may have better chances of finding work in their field. However, the skills learned in this major can also be used in a variety of other professions, like education.